Abounding in the Work of the Lord

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 NASBS

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I encourage you to find comfort and fortitude amidst the various challenges and trials that you encounter each day.

Our physical bodies, which are vulnerable to decay and deterioration, bear the weight of the suffering that this life presents, a reality that stems from the influences of sin working in our members. It is essential to remember that while these difficulties may feel overwhelming at times, they ultimately strengthen our faith and deepen our reliance on God’s grace. The scriptures tell us concerning this, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Nevertheless, for Christians, it is vital to understand that within the providential design of God, there exists a specific moment ordained when this perishable body will be transformed into one that is imperishable. In that time, our mortal bodies, which are currently subject to the inevitability of death, will be adorned with the gift of immortality. A body that is suited for heaven with no limitations, liberated from sin and its effects.

Paul, speaking to the church in Corinth, stated, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

In that triumphant moment, we will joyfully declare, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY! O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”

This powerful declaration will echo with the hope and certainty of the eternal life bestowed upon us. Together, all the redeemed will sing a new song alongside those who have gone before us, joining in adoration and praise, crying aloud, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

Oh, beloved of God, what a remarkable time that will be! Isaiah, in his anticipation of that glorious day, prophesied, “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat; the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow and the bear will graze; their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.”

Never forget, all of this was accomplished through Jesus’s glorious victory over death when He rose from the grave on the third day, in accordance with the Spirit of Holiness. In this extraordinary act, He rendered the demonic forces of hell utterly powerless, making a public spectacle of “the rulers, the authorities, the world powers of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly realms.” Through His glorious resurrection, He triumphed over them, putting them to open shame.

Moreover, Jesus, by fulfilling every righteous requirement of the law that had created an insurmountable chasm between God and humanity, successfully abolished the animosity that had long existed.

As a result, through Jesus, humanity is now presented with the remarkable opportunity to be reconciled with God through sincere faith and genuine repentance. This profound act of reconciliation not only mends the relationship that was shattered due to sin, but also brings man into union with God on the basis of grace, with the forgiveness of past, present, and future sins.

With that in mind, let us arm ourselves with holy violence against sin that seeks to lead the members of the body to act in defiance against God’s holy word. Just as Paul exhorted the church in Corinth by saying, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Let us also “lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

I pray that if you have never come to faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit would use this small devotion to bring you to Him.